


The Chat Madness

by saintrae



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, Depression, F/F, Family, Family Drama, Mild Gore, Redemption, Teamwork, half angst half sin, illness and insanity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-05-29 17:58:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6386539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saintrae/pseuds/saintrae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma Dupain-Cheng is seventeen years old and has been given a miraculous - Plagg. She's a good person but even good people do bad things if they're driven to it. After what Emma did while she was sick, she's going to have to find a way to make Paris trust her again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is a sequel to my first fic The Miraculous Cuban Chameleon. It's not required to read the first one to read this one. All the information that's needed is that Élodie (my OC) is now in a polyamorus relationship with Nathanaël, Marinette, and Adrien and they've raised their children together. happy reading!

   “Emma! Etta! Lou! Get up,” Mama called to us. I was already up but that wasn't a shock to anyone. Etta always had trouble getting up in the mornings, though. Lou was like a cat, always sleeping and always at inopportune times.  
   I was dressed in a khaki knee-length skirt, white blouse, light pink cardigan, and brown loafers. Henrietta always poked fun at me, saying I dressed exactly how I acted: like some stuck-up private school girl. It didn't really bother me.  
   “I'm up!” I called back through the door. I looked over at my siblings as Mama peeked through the door. Mama was tying her fluffy brown hair up with a scarf and smiled at me. Mama always looked happy and always had her makeup done very well. Her and Mom got along very well and when both of them were home, it was like the whole apartment was filled with love. I loved seeing them so in love.  
   Given Mama’s past, it must have been hard for her to love as fully as she did. Mom just brought that out in people. She brought it out in Dad and pretty much everyone she met. She was the woman all young designers wanted to intern under. Partially because she built her business from the ground up and partially because she was so kind.  
   “Dad is already at the bakery but he said he'll be there. He's just getting some treats for the class so go down to the bakery and walk with him. Marinette said she was going to be there too, she's just picking up some scarves from the shop and her design book. I'm sorry I can't be there for parent show-and-tell day. I'll be there next time, okay? I just can't close the shop today, especially with Adrien being out,” Mama told me, clearly upset about it. Mama and Dad always tried to be there for all of our events in school but because they both owned the bakery, it was difficult to have them both during the day. We didn't really mind because we understood, but Mama and Dad always seemed more upset than we were.  
   “It's okay, Mama. That's great! I know you'll be there next time,” I smiled at her. Mama kissed the top of my blonde head.  
   “Henrietta! Louis! It's time for school,” Mama called again to my siblings. She wobbled a bit on her cane but quickly fixed her balance. I saw them scramble out of bed and start to get dressed. We walked out of the room we shared when they were ready. The apartment had three bedrooms and a nice-sized kitchen and living room. I didn't remember the apartment we lived in the first few months of our life but I liked this one. There was enough room for everyone, as long as we shared a room. There was even a small balcony and the kitchen was a nice size.  
   Etta’s long, wild hair was being pulled into a bun at the base of her neck and Lou was trying to fix his black hair so the cowlicks wouldn't stand out so much but they were both dressed and that's all we could ask of both of them. Louis was in his dark green hoodie and Etta was in shorts that she borrowed from me. Not like I ever really wore them. They were a bit tighter on her because she was much curvier than I was. Must be that Cuban blood in her, or so I assumed.  
   “Ready!” Etta grinned and slung an arm around my shoulders. She made purring sounds and nuzzled my neck. I laughed and pushed her away.  
   “Dad will be there this time, with Mom. Okay?” I told them. Lou nodded a bit. Etta spun around, grinning. Etta was a total Daddy's Girl to both her dads.  
   “Go! Or you'll be late! Remember you three are going to your grandfather’s house today after school,” Mama told us and shooed us out. I picked up my backpack and we headed out. Etta was twirling and dancing as we made our way to the family bakery. Lou was silent as always as he walked, his hands in his pockets. None of us really looked like we were related but it never bothered us. We knew we were in some way. I was the only one out of my siblings that had blonde hair like one of our fathers, Adrien. I kept it short, cropped a few inches below my chin and pulled back by a pink ribbon. Etta was always the wild one but she could always keep up with me. Lou was another matter.  
   “Can you move faster,” I asked Lou, looking back at him. He was a few feet behind us and at the sound of my voice, he looked up from the sidewalk to meet my exasperated gaze.  
   “I can but I don't want to,” he grinned. He looked just like Dad when he smiled like that. It was weird to me because he was the least like him. I hoped he would grow out of it because it was annoying. I nearly bumped into an old Asian man because I wasn't paying attention.  
   “Oh gosh! I'm so sorry!” I said and we helped him up.  
   “Oh, it's fine,” he smiled at us.  
   “Um, how about we get you a tart from our parent’s shop? It's the best in Paris,” I smiled at him. “It's the least I can do after I rudely bumped into you.”  
   As we walked, Louis walked with him to make sure he was okay. I looped my arm through Etta’s as we walked, occasionally looking behind me at the old man. When we got to the bakery, we dropped our bags by the door.  
   “Dad! It's time to go,” I called to him. He came out from the back room and picked me up, spinning me around. He then did the same for Henrietta and hugged Louis and kissed his black hair. He went to the back to get the box of treats he prepared.  
   I picked up a fruit tart and walked to where the man was standing by the door.  
   “Would you like one? Free of charge,” I smiled kindly. I did feel badly about it.  
   “Could I possibly have a macaron instead, if it's no trouble?” he asked and I nodded. I picked up a green one and gave it to him. He ate it and looked at my siblings before turning toward the door.  
   “I should go. Thank you very much,” he smiled in a way that made me think he was in on some joke, then he walked out.  
   I tried not to think too much about it, picked up my bag, and walked out with them. I fixed my short blonde hair around my ribbon as we walked.  
   Parent show-and-tell day went great. Mom showed up and talked about the fashion industry and passed out some scarves she designed for the class. Dad talked about how he inherited the bakery from our mom’s parents and ran it with his adoptive sister then passed around some treats he brought. Aunt Alya and Uncle Nino talked about their professions but their daughter Chantal wasn't paying much attention. I didn't particularly get along with her, but being that our parents were so close it did no good to dislike her. She had Uncle Nino’s hair and Aunt Alya’s green eyes and was just as curvy as Henrietta. I really never knew where I stood with her. I couldn't read her easily and her way of treating me changed too often for me to try.  
   We said goodbye to our parents and Dad reminded us that we were going to his dad’s house after school. Mom kissed all three of us and hugged Chantal then they left. Aunt Alya messed up my hair and did the same to Etta and Lou. Uncle Nino hugged us and told Chantal that because they would need to work late tonight, she would go to Grandpa’s house with us.  
   I reached into my backpack for a notebook and I saw a small black box with some green designs on it. I wrinkled my brow and shoved it into my pocket. I didn't know where it came from but I really wanted to know what was inside.  
   The lunch bell rang and I left with the other three. Chantal was talking animatedly about some famous musician she met, making sure the attention was on her. I was used to it. Etta was pretending to pay attention and Lou wasn't even going that far. He had his arm looped through mine, his bright green eyes downcast. Louis’s hair wasn't cut very often so it fell in front of his eyes a lot of the time.  
   “... oh! And this morning, this old man tripped down some stairs! It was so horrible! Good thing I caught him in time, you know? I was so glad he was okay,” Chantal said and I turned to her.  
   “An old man? We ran into one this morning too. But I bumped into him,” I said to her. Chantal, for a moment, seemed a bit interested in me. Just a bit.  
   “Oh, really? Well, it couldn't be the same old man,” she said and went back to her story. I exchanged a look with my brother and he shrugged, not really paying much attention to her.  
   When we made it to Grandpa’s house, Etta rang the doorbell and grinned into the camera. I stood next to her with my hands neatly clasped in front of me.  
   “Hi! We're here for lunch!” Etta grinned and the gate unlocked. We walked single file, Louis in front, then me, Henrietta, then Chantal. It reminded me of ducklings without a mother.  
   Gabriel greeted us at the door and we hugged him. Louis got into a conversation with him about fashion and designs he was working on and Chantal joined in. We walked into the dining room and I asked to be excused. I went into the bathroom and opened the box. It was a metal black ring with a green paw print on it. I tapped it with a perfectly manicured nail a few times before slipping it onto my index finger.  
   A green orb of light appeared and a little black… cat came out of it? I covered my mouth so I wouldn't scream.  
   “I'm hungry, do you have any food?” he asked. I could only stare at it for a while then I saw the ring had turned to silver.  
   “Wh-what… what are you?” I whispered feverishly.  
   “I'm a Kwami. My name is Plagg.”  
   “Plagg? That's a dumb name. Who named you that? Clearly not an owner that liked you,” I wrinkled my nose at him.  
   “My name is Plagg. That's it. Now, I'm hungry. Do you have any food?” he asked and started flying around the bathroom, biting into soap and towels before I caught him.  
   “If you stay quiet, I'll get you food soon. But you need to stay quiet,” I warned the little black thing. I shoved it into my cardigan.  
   “Ooh! You smell better than my second to last holder!” he said excitedly. “He was right! Girls do smell better than cheese.”  
   “Will you shut up?” I hissed at him when a knock came at the door.  
   “Emmy? Are you doing okay?” I heard my sister call through the door. I glared at the little black cat before responding.  
   “Yes! Almost done! Just needed to fix my makeup,” I said then went to actually check my makeup. I fixed the eyeliner and added a bit of light blush then I walked out. Etta looked at me curiously.  
   “Well, okay. Hurry up. The food is getting cold,” she smiled and walked with me. I felt the little black thing wiggle in my cardigan and I thumped it's head.  
   I sat at the table and placed the napkin over my lap. Everyone was eating blanquette de veau but because I didn't eat meat, my dish was ratatouille. It was actually my favourite food and every year on my birthday I asked Mama and Dad to make it for me. Papa would colour with me while they made it or he would kiss them or tickle them while they made it. I loved seeing them together. I learned early on that my family life was not a normal one. Not everyone had two dads and two moms who were together with each other. I knew we didn't mind, though. We always felt loved and cared for. I loved my family, I just didn't feel worthy of them.  
   “Emma, how is school going for you?” Grandpa asked me. I turned to look at him from my meal. I took a bite of the bread that I had dipped in the stew to mull it over.  
   “It's going very well. I have very high marks. I'm hoping to get an internship… somewhere,” I responded after swallowing and dabbing at my mouth delicately with the napkin. Chantal rolled her eyes at me but I didn't pay much attention to it. She wasn't worth my time.  
   When our lunch break was almost over, I snuck into the kitchen and pulled the little black thing out of my cardigan.  
   “Go. Find something you want to eat. And do it quickly. I need to get back to school. I have physical education next and I'm not inclined to miss it because you're slow,” I told him, tapping my loafers against the floor. Plagg looked around and after his initial shock wore off, he zoomed right to where we kept the cheese as if he's been in the mansion before. He picked up a piece of Camembert.  
   “Is that all? Because I need to go,” I said, placing a hand on my narrow hip.  
   “Jeez, you're bossy!” he complained. I shoved him into my purse with his cheese.  
   “Yes, thank you. Now eat your cheese and stop talking. I need to get back to school,” I ordered and walked out. I was glad when all I heard coming out of the bag was his gross mushy sounds of eating cheese instead of his voice.  
   “Emma? What are you doing? We're going to get back late. And you hate being late the most out of all of us,” I heard Louis say. I turned the corner and met up with them.  
   “Oh, sorry! I was just getting some… crackers - granola - for after physical education,” I smiled and he shrugged. We walked out together and Chantal caught up with me.  
   “Are you okay? You seem a bit… off,” Chantal asked me. I stared at her a moment before looking ahead. There was no way I was telling her about Plagg.  
   “I'm fine, Chantal,” I muttered and tucked some blonde hair behind my ear. She squinted at me a moment before nodding and not asking anything else.  
   I actually enjoyed P.E. class. I was actually very good at it. I was the fastest and most flexible in the class. Louis was the slowest. I wasn't sure if it was because he was actually slow or because he wanted to make sure no one thought too much of him. Either way, no one did.  
   We were doing the climbing wall and gymnastics today, two of the things I was best at. I was in my pink tank top and white shorts with white sneakers. I even had my hair tied up as best as I could. I was more than ready. Then she said we were in teams. I was paired with my brother.  
   “Why don't you just do as I say and we'll make it out of this with minimal embarrassment,” I told him. His green eyes bore into my blue ones.  
   “Yeah sure, princess,” he muttered. When it got down to it, he wasn't bad. Actually, he was better than me. And that was hard to admit. He was a natural whereas I… wasn't. I wasn't really particularly good at anything, now that I think about it.  
   After gym, I freshened up and put my clothes back on, obsessively straightening the khaki skirt and the white blouse and the pink cardigan. I pulled my socks up to my knees and slipped my feet into my leather loafers. I fixed my hair in the mirror, making sure that it looked fine.  
   “What are you doing that for? You look fine,” I heard that annoying voice say. I jumped when I saw him floating next to me. I continued to fix my hair.  
   “Gosh! I thought you had gone away. What do you want,” I asked him. I twisted the ring on my finger.  
   “I'm a Kwami. I can give you powers. The power of destruction. I'm kind of like a God. But you can only use it once and your transformation will only last five minutes after you use it. Then you'll need to feed me again,” he said and that peaked my interest.  
   “Powers? You mean… you can make me a superhero?” I asked, leaning in close to the weird little thing.  
   “That's the general idea, yeah. Oh, and you have two partners. A Chameleon and a Ladybug,” he told me. “But Ladybug runs the show.”  
   “Wait… I remember this. I was really little and I saw them on TV. But one day… they went away. Mom and Papa even told me stories about them and made me and my siblings onesies. Wait. I'm Chat Noir?” I asked, trying to figure this out. “Chat Noir isn't even the leader!”  
   “Yeah well, this is who you're chosen to be. You aid Ladybug in capturing the black butterflies called Akumas. Ladybug cleanses them,” Plagg said after getting my attention again. “God, you're a control freak.”  
   “You are one rude little rodent,” I wrinkled my nose.  
   “I am a Kwami,” Plagg told me again, as if I had forgotten whatever that was. “And you're uptight.”  
   “Are you going to keep insulting me,” I said, wrinkling my brow and pursing my lips. Plagg stuck his tongue out at me.  
   “If you don't go, you won't be able to catch up with your brother and sisters,” Plagg warned me. I paled and started shoving my folded gym clothes into my bag. The little black creature was right.  
   “I only have one sister. Henrietta. Louis, Henrietta, and I are Dupain-Chengs. Chantal Albert is a cousin, kind of. Family friend,” I said and folded my arms.  
   “You'd be a better Kwami for Etta. You and her would get along,” I muttered and slung my bag on my shoulders. I fixed my hair again.  
   “Yeah, well you're stuck with me,” Plagg muttered and flew into my cardigan. “Also, your taste in clothes is horrible. You look like a doll.”  
   “Gosh - darn - are you done?” I grumbled as I ran out.  
   “Maybe.”  
   I bumped into Chantal who was standing directly outside school. She caught my wrist and pulled me up as I fell back.  
   “Always knocking things over. Can't seem to do anything right, huh, Emmy?” she smirked and I set my jaw. I hoped Plagg hadn't fallen out. I didn't need her seeing the annoying little thing.  
   “I guess not. Where are Lou and Etta?” I asked. Chantal inspected her nails.  
   “They went ahead without you. Lou said he had something to do and ran off. Didn't say what. Actually, as a matter of fact, so do I. Etta is waiting for you at your grandfather’s house,” she shrugged and looked me up and down. As far as I knew, Lou didn't have any plans. He didn't even really have friends. Our class thought he was a stuck-up rich kid when he was just shy. Everyone kind of liked him anyway, though. Well, in their own way. Well, they also thought I was a preppy rich kid and that Etta was wild at heart. Maybe they saw us better than we did.  
   “I'll call Etta to tell her I'm just heading home. I'm too tired,” I told her absently as I searched for my phone.  
   “That's nice. I really don't care,” she said and started to walk away when I saw some kid in what looked like… a white bodysuit with black writing on it and a large red F on the front.  
   “Is that some sort of cosplay?” I asked, kind of confused. He turned to me and extended his hand, red letters flying out of it. I didn't know if it was serious so I didn't move. But I figured out the hard way that they hurt like paper cuts. I had a few on my face and neck.  
   “Chantal! Get out of here!” I ordered her, taking a stance.  
   “Me? Why not you? God, you're so needlessly bossy! Just run!” she shouted back. She ducked low so she missed his next attack and I rolled my eyes. I looked at him and tried to figure out who it was.  
   “Gustave? Wait, Gustave! It's me! It's Emma! Gus-Gus, what are you doing?” I called out to him. I noticed he was riding on a floating piece of paper.  
   “I'm not Gustave. I'm The Tester!” he shouted and I wrinkled my nose.  
   “Gus-Gus, stop being silly. Calm down and -” I ducked and rolled when more letters flew at me. My landing wasn't very good but at least I got away. I took one more look at Chantal before I got up and ran to the side of the school. Plagg flew out of my cardigan.  
   “Plagg, I need to help. How do I… activate you?” I asked, frantically looking around.  
   “Say ‘claws out!’”  
   “Plagg, claws out!” I repeated and started spinning around and making sounds of fear. The transformation was so weird to me. When I looked down, I saw I was covered in leather and I had a bell under my chin. I patted my hair and noticed it was wild and unkempt and I had… cat ears?  
   “Oh hell no, Plagg! I'm not fighting evil looking like some sicko’s wet dream,” I complained and noticed too late that I was alone. Well, he was probably inside that ring. I hoped he could hear me. I touched my face and was glad to feel a mask. At least no one would know it was me in this ridiculous costume.  
   When I finally emerged, I realised I was not alone. A boy in a Ladybug costume with slicked back, black hair and green eyes was standing on the sidewalk. He had a spotted bandana around his neck and a yoyo around his narrow hips. There was a girl with chocolate brown hair and green eyes and I could see she had brown skin under her mask. Her suit was scaly and green and she had a tail. This day could not get any weirder.  
   “H-hi. I'm, um, Ladybug,” he said, looking at the floor. Really? This uncertain boy was the leader?  
   “I'm Chat Noir. What a purr-ivilege to meet you,” I smirked and cocked a hip. There was something about this suit that was freeing. I wasn't the daughter of Marinette, Adrien, Élodie, and Nathanaël. I wasn't the talentless and useless Emma. I was a hero. I was Chat Noir. And I was here to kick ass and make lame jokes.  
   “I'm Chameleon. Did you guys see what happened?” the girl said, ignoring my pun.  
   “I got here a little late. What about you, Chat Noir?” Ladybug said and it took a moment to realise he was talking to me.  
   “Oh! Um. This guy. Um, he got - he calls himself The Tester. I didn't see where he went. But his grading system is pretty sharp,” I said and tried to keep up the smirk. Gosh, why did I try to be funny? I wasn't funny. I had never been funny. They probably wouldn't even get that joke!  
   “So I guess we just follow the screams?” Chameleon asked us, deadpan.  
   “What can you two do?” I asked.  
   “I can turn invisible and I have a pretty neat tail. I'm pretty sure I can take it off and use it as a whip but I'm too scared to find out, really. In case I can't put it back on… or it hurts.”  
   “Lucky Charm creates stuff. ‘Miraculous Ladybug’ fixes everything to an extent… I can cleanse the black butterfly - the Akuma. And I have a yoyo,” Ladybug looked at us both.  
   “I have this baton thing. I'm actually not sure how it works. I have claws, those are pretty neat. And I can destroy anything I touch,” I bit my lip, pulling my baton out and holding it out. It extended until it touched the floor. I could feel the tail flick around behind me.  
   “What kind of hero destroys things?” Chameleon asked, just a hint of malice in her voice. But she mostly seemed… hesitant. Dubious. Like now that she knew what my power was, she couldn't tell if I was a threat or an ally. I was willing to prove myself to them.  
   “Well, have you seen The Avengers movies?” I shot back. Chameleon sighed and climbed a tree, but she didn't press.  
   “We should get going. We don't know what he's doing.”  
   “Yeah, I can hear him. He's by the fountain,” I said. The truth of it startled me. I could hear the havoc he was wreaking near the fountain, even though it was miles away. I had some pretty good hearing now. Or he was just really loud.  
   I extended my baton until I was in the air. Good thing I wasn't scared of heights.  
   “Let's go. Race ya,” I grinned and used the baton to launch me closer. I could see Ladybug swinging around and Chameleon jumping from building to building out of the corner of my eye. When I saw The Tester’s brown hair with a bunch of bloody people around the area. I was about to land but I had a slew of letters thrown at me and my hands slipped off my baton, falling into the water. I saw the shortened baton fall in the water next to me.  
   “Chat!” I could faintly hear from outside the water, which probably meant that they were screaming pretty loud. I climbed out of the water and shook my hair out. Fishing in the water, my claws finally found my stick. Rubbing my eyes, champagne pink eyeshadow coloured my black gloves.  
   “And my makeup looked so good today,” I sighed and shook the water off my suit. Tester looked over at me when I started talking and sent more sharp letters my way. I used my baton to backflip out of the way then extended it into his stomach, pushing him away from me.  
   “Is that all you got, Gus-Gus?” I teased and saw a shift in the air around him. The test he was flying on got pulled out from under him and his arms got pinned behind him. It looked like he was doing it to himself until Chameleon called off her invisibility. A woman after my own heart. Ladybug had the test in his hands then ripped it. The little black butterfly flew out and I watched him cleanse it. I couldn't describe how much I wanted that to be me but I was proud that we worked together and got it done as a team. Maybe it didn't matter who was in what suit, as long as we worked together. I would need to work on that.  
   A group of journalists, including Aunt Alya, swarmed us. I watched as Ladybug talked to them but Chameleon was looking at me.  
   “You did well today. I'll be happy to work with you, Chat,” she said softly and extended her fist. Ladybug turned and extended his as well. I tapped my fist against theirs, smiling.  
   “Well done!” we cheered at the same time. We got paraded with questions and from behind them, I saw Etta. She was recording it and I wasn't sure how long she had been there. I pulled my teammates over to her and waved to the camera.  
   “Hi! We're the new trio, here to protect Paris! I'm Chat Noir,” I smiled.  
   “I'm Ladybug… but Bug works fine,” he smiled kindly.  
   “Chameleon, it's such a pleasure,” she said while Etta just stared at us. We turned and introduced ourselves to the cameras. I could hear beeping and I turned to Chameleon. Etta slowly walked backwards then turned and ran.  
   “Your transformation is about to wear off. You better run,” I told her. She looked down at her necklace then nodded.  
   “I'll see you two around. Maybe later tonight? When we're all rested up?” she asked. I looked at Ladybug.  
   “Yeah, that sounds good. Where?”  
   “How about here? At ten,” she smiled. I bit my lip. I had a test in maths tomorrow and I didn't want to be tired, but I also wanted to get to know my partners better. Well, I wasn't very good at maths anyway.  
   “Sounds good. I'll be there,” I said, biting my lip. Chameleon trailed a scaly finger across my jaw and I shivered.  
   “Can't wait, kitten,” she smiled and ran off. I turned to Ladybug.  
   “Is your transformation good?” I asked him.  
   “Yup! I actually forgot to use Lucky Charm this time. Are you okay, though? You took a swan dive into that water,” he laughed and I rolled my eyes.  
   “Water is not my thing. But I got back in the game pretty quickly,” I grinned and winked.  
   “Whatever you say, princess,” he smiled and messed up my hair. Princess. That reminded me of someone…  
   “I'm sorry to cut this short, but I actually have somewhere I need to be. I'll see you later tonight?” I asked and ran a hand through my hair, avoiding my cat ears. He smiled and nodded and I walked over to Gustave. I knelt by him.  
   “What happened? Why did this happen?” I asked softly, placing my hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me.  
   “I'm a straight-A student. I'm almost as good as the top kid in my class, Emma Dupain-Cheng. She has the highest marks in our grade. The teacher thought I was cheating but I wasn't. I was just asking for a pencil because I forgot one this morning. She wrote an F on my test and sent me to the principle… I had never gotten a bad grade in my life,” he looked down, ashamed. I saw Ladybug had run off so I was alone with him.  
   “I understand. I get it. But grades - they aren't the most important thing about you. They don't measure your value as a human being, Gus-Gus. If you need help from someone, you can ask. Asking for help is the strongest thing you can do. When you're upset, clear your mind and think about how you can make yourself calmer. Negative emotions are temporary. Don't put more value to them than they deserve,” I said kindly. I held his hand with my gloved one. He smiled up at me.  
   “Okay. That sounds good. I'll try. Maybe I'll even sit by Emma. No one sits with her in class because they think she's cold hearted and stuck up. That is, if everyone doesn't hate me at school tomorrow. I'm sorry I caused such a mess,” Gustave said softly.  
   “It wasn't your fault. You were possessed. You were as much a victim to this as everyone else. I have to go now, but please keep in mind what I told you,” I said and stood up. I used my baton to get away and hid next to the school. I called off my transformation and held my hands out to catch Plagg.  
   “We did it! We did it, Plagg! It was so amazing,” I gushed, staring at the Kwami.  
   “Yeah, yeah. I know. Do you have any cheese?” he asked and I sighed.  
   “Is that all you think about? We just saved the day!” I smiled.  
   “Yes, yes. I know. Cheeeesseeee,” he whined again. I groaned and shoved him into my cardigan.  
   “I'll buy some for you but you need to stop talking,” I mumbled. I picked up my backpack and waited to hear him but I was glad when I didn't. “Good.”  
   We went to the market and I ran into my brother and Chantal. Chantal had two boxes of raspberries and Lou had a bag of cookies. I wasn't really sure why he was here because he could've just gone to our family's bakery.  
   “Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise,” Chantal said to us. I looked at my brother.  
   “I guess it is. I'll see you at home, Em,” he said and went to pay. I nodded to him and went to the cheese section.  
   “Camembert,” I heard my cardigan whisper.  
   “But it's so bland. It barely even has a smell. Don't you want some other type of cheese?” I asked. People in the isle looked at me, confused. I didn't blame them. I looked crazy talking to my breast.  
   “Do you complain about everything?” he hissed. I glared down at my cardigan then picked up a few wheels of Camembert. I picked up a few wheels of Brie as well then went to pay. I could feel Plagg wiggling with excitement on my side, just under my breast.  
   “Oh relax. You'll get it when I'm home,” I whispered to him as I twisted the ring around my finger. How was I going to hide him? I shared a room with my brother and sister. We often went into each other's wardrobes for clothes. I really didn't know where I could hide him. I called Etta, telling her I was going to the bakery.  
   “I have something totally awesome to show you! I'll show you when I get home,” she said excitedly and hung up. I smiled a bit to myself and walked into the bakery. Lou loved spending time in Mom's design studio, Etta loved Papa's art studio, but I loved the bakery. It always smelled comforting and I loved helping out when I could. Dad came out of the back room, flour on his cheek. He hadn't shaved in a day or two so he had some blond stubble on his face.  
   “You look happy today, Emma. Something good happen at school today?” he asked, his green eyes bright.  
   “Oh, no. Nothing interesting. Completely normal day,” I grinned up at him. He tapped under my chin.  
   “You're as bad a liar as Marinette. What happened today,” he smiled and walked to the back room. Mama was ringing someone up with clothes and some cupcakes. I hugged her and followed Dad to the back.  
   “If I tell you, you can't tell anyone else. Not Mama or Papa or Mom. No one, okay?” I told him. He looked at me curiously but nodded.  
   “Go ahead.”  
   “I'm Chat Noir. I have this little annoying God-like thing called a Kwami. His name is -”  
   “Plagg,” he finished for me. I wrinkled my brow.  
   “How do you know about him?”  
   “Plagg, come out,” Dad said and the little black cat flew out of my cardigan and into Dad’s face.  
   “I missed you! It's been so long,” Dad said to Plagg.  
   “I haven't seen her since she was a baby! I didn't know she was yours,” Plagg said, floating in front of Dad.  
   “Wait, you know me?” I asked Plagg.  
   “Emma Sabine Dupain-Cheng. Born on the twenty-fourth of February with a twin brother Louis Gabriel Dupain-Cheng,” Plagg said proudly.  
   “Louis is my twin brother?” I asked. I actually thought Lou and Etta were the ones that were blood related. But that was good to know. “Wait, you knew who I was?”  
   “I always hoped I could come back to this family. You kids were so funny,” Plagg grinned.  
   “Alright, that's enough from you,” I said and shoved him into my cardigan.  
   “Okay, so you were Chat Noir for a time. And now I am. Who was Ladybug and Chameleon? Are there others like us?” I asked.  
   “Marinette was Ladybug. A great one too. Élodie was Chameleon. Always so selfless and willing to risk herself to save me. There was this girl Lila who was Volpina but we haven't seen her for many years and we don't know what happened to her miraculous. We assume she took it with her. There's a peacock miraculous, but that hasn't been in use for many years. There's a bee and a turtle one. But the bee wasn't given to anyone and Master Fu has the turtle, Wayzz. The butterfly one, his name is Nooroo. I read a book that had all the miraculouses. There could be more but I'm not sure. If all the miraculouses are activated, something's very wrong,” Dad said.  
   “No, no. It just seems to be us. Ladybug, Chameleon, and I,” I said to him. He nodded.  
   “Just be careful, okay?” he added and kissed the top of my head. I nodded.  
   “Sure thing, Dad.”

   I took a shower when I got home and did my makeup. Fixing my hair was more of a feat because I had hair like my dad’s, blonde and fluffy. I usually ironed it to keep it down but looking in the mirror again, I figured this look would go well with Chat Noir. I used black makeup that I found in Mama’s bag (I never wore dark colours, it aged me) to bring out my blue eyes. I used some blush to sculpt my cheekbones and red lipstick because I had lips like my mother's and it would be a shame not to show them off in this catsuit.  
I tossed on some shorts and a loose top that belonged to Etta then put on flats.  
   “Are you done? You look fine. No one will even see your outfit,” Plagg complained. I checked the clock then shoved him in my backpack with his beloved cheese when I heard footsteps. Lou walked in and pulled off his hoodie. He had on a white tank top underneath. I was bored so I watched him toss on a shirt with some sort of design and I saw him look over at me out of the corner of his eye.  
   “Where are you going dressed like that?” he asked, clearly disapproving.  
   “None of your business. I cleared it with Dad. Why?”  
   “You look like a cheap hooker for paedophiles,” he added before tossing a shirt over the one he was already wearing.  
   “Oh, how nice. Whoever said the quiet ones were the nice ones clearly never met you,” I said and glared at him.  
   “Whatever, princess. I'm heading out. I cleared it with Mom,” he said and walked out.  
   “You - you -” I started, trying to think of an insult.  
   “Do it,” I heard Plagg whisper from my backpack, like the little devil on my shoulder.  
   “Loser!” I said then covered my mouth. That was not my proudest moment.  
   “Well, that was anticlimactic.”  
   “Oh shut up. Let's go. Plagg, claws out!”  
   I felt the suit cover my body and the mask cover my face. I looked in the mirror and made sure my makeup looked good before jumping out of the window.  
   The baton extended so I was on the roof then started running. I felt the wind on my face as I ran, using my baton to launch myself from rooftop to rooftop. I saw a red person swinging from building to building and I called out for him.  
   “Ladybug! Bug! It's me, Chat,” I called and waved. I missed a step and skidded until my face broke my fall. I heard laughter then a hand at my back.  
   “Hey, Chat. You look nice tonight but you really need to work on that landing,” he smiled kindly and helped me up.  
   “Yeah, yeah. I'll work on it,” I shrugged and patted the dust off my suit. I figured my hair was a lost cause so I didn't even bother touching it.  
   “I bet I can make it there before you,” he grinned.  
   “I'd like to see you try, Bug. If I win I get… a ride from you on your yoyo. What do you want if you win?” I asked.  
   “What are you willing to give me?”  
   “A bag of cookies? They're the best in Paris and I make them myself,” I smiled. Okay, it was a small lie. Dad made them with Mama’s help and I sat around and sang with them while they made it. But I did know they were the best in Paris.  
   “Deal,” he smiled and shot off like a bullet. I used my baton to launch myself across rooftops. I grinned, loving the feeling of the suit on my body and not caring if my hair was perfect or not. I didn't need to impose perfection on myself. As Chat Noir, no one knew how big of a pretender I was. I could be the perfect superhero and that was very different than being the perfect daughter.  
   “Hey! Down here!” I heard someone call and looked down. I stuck my baton to the ground and laced my leg around it, spinning down. I held on by my fingertips and placed my other hand on my hip. Ladybug landed after me and I stuck my tongue out at him.  
   “You sure do know how to make an entrance, kitten,” Chameleon smiled and winked at me. I shrugged and bit my lip.  
   “Learned from the best,” I smiled, thinking about my dad.  
   We spent the night goofing off and travelling around Paris, on patrol. We vaguely talked about our civilian life but not in enough detail that we could tell who the other was.  
   “What happened to the Akuma victim today? I had to run,” Chameleon asked, leaning back to stare at the Paris lights.  
   “I talked to him. He's just a student that a teacher thought was cheating. He got very upset so I told him that grades aren't everything. That if he needs help, to go to someone he trusts. That negative emotions don't last long and so you shouldn't let them control you. If only I could take my own advice,” I said softly.  
   “What do you mean?” Ladybug asked.  
   “Well, my family… they're perfect. They're all happy and successful and talented. I'm nothing like them. I stand out. My happiness… it feels fake. Like I'm putting on a show. I have no talents and I'm not even particularly kind or generous or brave outside of this suit. I'm only successful in school and that's because I work my butt off to get there because I'm not very smart unless I work like hell. That's not going to get me very far in life. I'm not exceptionally pretty or smart or cunning. I'm just… nothing. My negative emotions pretty much fuel me to be who I am. I'm a hypocrite,” I said softly and looked down at the people. It was almost midnight. This had been the craziest day I've ever lived. But when I looked at my partners, I knew I wouldn't change it for anything. I was Chat Noir and there was no way I was giving that up. Chameleon placed her hand on my shoulder.  
   “You're not a hypocrite. You did something very kind. Even though you feel that way, you tried to make it so someone else didn't. You didn't want him feeling the same way you did. You treated him with empathy and kindness. That's not nothing, Chat,” she said, smiling. I looked into her eyes and for a moment, it felt like we were the only two in the world. But the moment was shattered when I realised how late it was.  
   “I need to go. Now. How about we meet here tomorrow night, you know. To keep on our toes. If there's an Akuma attack, I guess I'll see you earlier than that. Bye!” I said and used my baton to get myself across from roof to roof. I jumped through my window and called off my transformation.  
   “I'm hungry again,” Plagg said. I went into my backpack and saw empty boxes where the cheese used to be.  
   “Are you kidding me?” I groaned and flopped onto my bed.  
“What? It's important that I eat or I won't be able to transform you,” he gloated.  
   “Well, I don't have anymore. And don't leave my backpack. I don't want everyone else to see you,” I glared.  
   “Why not?” he pouted.  
   “I just want this to be my secret with my dad, okay? I just want it to be mine,” I said softly. “So just stay in my backpack and I'll get you cheese tomorrow.”  
   “Fiineee,” he groaned. I heard the TV on in the living room and figured the rest of my family was there. I turned off the light and pulled the blanket over my head.  
   The door to my room opened and I pushed the blanket off my head to see Etta. She sat on my bed and pulled her hair out of the ponytail.  
   “They're back! Ladybug and Chat Noir and Chameleon! They're back! I even got an exclusive interview with them. Okay, it wasn't long, but they totally singled me out! Walked right up to me and introduced themselves! How awesome is that!? Oh, and I made a blog for them! It's called The Miraculous Trio. Well, it's really for anything superpower or superhero related! I've already got about a million views! Isn't this so awesome?” Etta beamed, starting from her phone to me. Me. I was one of Paris’ heroes. I was a hero in Etta’s eyes. That means I had to start acting like one.  
   “That's great, sister. But I'm really tired and we have a maths test tomorrow. I'll let you gush more about it when I'm awake. Go enjoy the show,” I smiled politely.  
   “Okay! Oh, Ladybug is totally cool! His outfit is awesome and he can cleanse Akumas. It's just like Mom, Dad, Mama, and Papa said! Chameleon is awesome too, turning invisible like that,” Etta smiled, walking to the door.  
   “What about… Chat Noir?” I asked, trying not to seem too interested.  
   “I didn't really see her do much except for wipe out into the fountain. Kinda… useless, you know? Like that one friend you invite to the party just so they won't feel left out? But I'll stop talking and let you sleep,” Etta smiled, walking out and closing the door behind her. I was useless? That's how the public saw me? Useless? Oh hell no. I would be the best damn hero in all of Paris, even better than Ladybug. I looked over at my backpack and knew that Kwami was going to help me.  
   “Goodnight, Plagg.”  
   “Goodnight, Emma.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Louis, what happened? Did you get into a fight?” I whispered, stroking his black hair back from his face. His green eyes opened and focused on me with a feverish intensity.

   As always, I was up around the same time as Mama and Dad. I watched them make breakfast for everyone and kiss their loves goodbye for the day. Mom snuck in an extra kiss to both Mama and Dad, which made Papa pout until he got an extra kiss too. They all knew it wasn't a real pout, but he loved doing it because he knew they couldn't resist.  
   Papa sat next to me at the counter and looked over at what I was doing with groggy interest.  
   “Maths,” I supplied and laughed when he put on a silly confused expression.  
   “God, Adrien was always better at maths than I ever was. Élodie is pretty bad too,” Papa smiled a bit and kissed the side of my head.  
   “I know. But I'm doing fine on my own. I don't need help,” I assured him, even though I knew I was lying. I was terrible at maths, which was why I worked extra hard at it. The apartment was quiet, as my siblings and Mom were still asleep. Mom always slept in when she could.  
   “How about we skip school today and have a picnic in the park,” he asked even though he knew the answer. No, I had to be the perfect student. He was always trying to get me to skip school with him.  
   “I wish I could, Pa. But I really should go to school. I have a test today and I really am very excited for it,” I smiled brightly, hoping to convince him. After studying my face silently for a moment, he nodded. I wasn't sure he believed me, but he accepted it. He knew not to push.  
   “I should really go get ready for school. I'll see you for lunch,” I said, hopping off the stool and going to my room. I could hear the slow, steady breathing of sleep from my siblings so I took the chance to peek in on Plagg. The sun was just coming out and he was still asleep.  
   Sighing at his laziness, I went to the bathroom for my daily routine. Brush my teeth, wash my face, apply makeup, straighten hair. Walking back into my room, I rummaged around for clothes to wear. I settled on a boxy pink shirt, jean shorts, and sneakers. Moving my fingers through my hair, I made a braid to keep my bangs back then tied the pink ribbon into it.  
   By the time I was done, my siblings were just starting to wake up, moans of complaint already at their lips. I rubbed their backs slowly, like Papa used to do. He was out in the kitchen having breakfast by this time and probably didn't even know they were awake.  
   “Etta, my dear, wake up… it's time for school…” I said softly. I nuzzled her neck and purred against her. She started giggling and pushed me away. Acting like a cat was her thing, ironically. She really would get along with Plagg better than I do. But being my dad’s temperament what it was, he probably didn't get along with him either. And that was saying something because my dad got along with everyone.  
   “Emma… fine. I'm up, I'm up,” she groaned and sat up, her wild curly hair fluffed up around her. I went to wake Lou up but when I touched his shoulder, he just whimpered. He was tense under my hand and I pulled the blanket off him. He usually swatted my hand away but he didn't even move.  
   I covered my mouth, hearing my heart pound in my ears. His shoulder, back, and ribs were horribly bruised. Small strangled sounds escaped my mouth before I finally came to my senses.  
   “Etta, go get Mom and Papa! Now,” I told her, kneeling by his bed. Etta scrambled out of bed and left the room, calling for Mom and Papa. I leaned down to his ear.  
   “Louis, what happened? Did you get into a fight?” I whispered, stroking his black hair back from his face. His green eyes opened and focused on me with a feverish intensity.  
   “N-no. No fights. Stayed out late. I was swinging on my yoyo. I slipped and fell from a roof into an alley… onto garbage bins… I'm Ladybug. Please don't tell, Princess,” he said softly, his voice thick with pain. He looked like a little boy, scared. Princess. He called me Princess. It was a sort of mockery but I couldn't bring myself to be annoyed.  
   “I won't. I won't ever, Louis,” I whispered and kissed his head. I realised my hands were shaking. Mom rushed in, her pixie cut hair all messy from sleep. She knelt next to me and gently trailed her fingertips over his back, careful not to hurt him.  
   “We need to get you to a hospital. Right now. Etta, Emma, go to school. Nath, make sure they go. I know you have a meeting with your publisher in a few hours, but please? I need to get him to a hospital,” Mom said, looking behind me. Papa stood there, his face white, and nodded slowly. He blinked a few times then ushered Etta and I out of the room.  
   “I need to get dressed,” Etta protested, turning around to get back in the room. When Papa finally let her, she came back out a few moments later with some clothes in her hands. She went into the bathroom and got dressed and once she was ready, we were pushed out.  
   “No, wait! I'm forgetting something,” I said, my eyes wide. I ducked under his arm and bolted into my room. I avoided looking at the bruises on my brother and checked on Plagg. I pulled my backpack on my shoulder then went looking for his Kwami.  
   “Backpack,” he moaned to me and I nodded. Mom pretended to not be paying attention as I fished in his bag and shoved the little red bug in with Plagg. Leaning down, I kissed his head again.  
   “I got her. Feel better,” I whispered to him, picked up Etta’s bag, and walked back out.  
   We didn't take our time getting to school so I had to tell our homeroom teacher that Louis was in the hospital. I sat back at my seat only to see Gus-Gus standing by the desk.  
   “Hi, Emma. I know we're… kind of academic rivals. But I wanted to ask… could I sit here?” he asked, shifting from foot to foot. I nodded a bit and he happily slid into the seat next to me.  
   “What happened to your brother?” he asked softly, so no one could hear.  
   “Asthma attack,” I lied, looking at my desk.  
   “I didn't know he had asthma,” Gustave said thoughtfully. “I'm terribly sorry he's in the hospital.”  
   “He's strong. He'll be fine,” I fidgeted with the ribbon at the back of my neck. When homeroom was over, I walked to my next class by myself. I didn't speak to anyone. I didn't want to. I had taken a chance today on wearing shorts and suddenly they felt too revealing. They made me want to hide. I felt too exposed. I wanted to wear my slacks to hide my legs.  
   The maths test went fine, although I did find it rather boring and difficult. I was the last to turn in the test but I knew I would get the best grade. I took an extra test, saying it was for my brother, and slipped it into my backpack. Instead of rushing to science, I took a detour to the bathroom and locked the stall. Once I opened my backpack, the two Kwami flew out.  
   “Thank you, little red buggy thing. For keeping Plagg quiet during class. I'm Emma,” I whispered.  
   “I'm Tikki! I know who you are, Emma! It's wonderful to see you again. You were just a few months old last time I saw you. You look so much like Adrien, with your mother's eyes. So beautiful!” she said, smiling.  
   “I like her better,” I said to Plagg. He stuck his tongue out at me.  
   “Your brother had quite a fall. The yoyo jerked too hard and he lost his grip and rolled around until he hit the ground. It was very scary. But he will be fine,” Tikki said, trying to assure me.  
   “Okay. I'll get you both fed soon, okay? Lunch is after this class. Can you please just keep him quiet? If you get cold, tap my leg and I'll put you in my locker. My jacket is there,” I said and Tikki hugged my cheek.  
   “You're so very kind, Emma! You make your family proud,” Tikki said. I rubbed her head with my finger lightly. I doubted it, but I knew she believed it. Plagg looked lonely so I pulled him to my chest, just below my throat.  
   “I like you too, Plagg. Thank you so much for choosing me,” I said to him. He pushed away and floated in front of me with Tikki. “Now back in my bag.”  
   Science class was a dismal wreck being that I was thinking about my brother and what to feed these Kwamis than I was on the lesson. Etta looked terrible too. Her honey-coloured hair was picked up in a sloppy bun and her eyes were vacant. Chantal was looking out the window the whole class.  
   I was the first one out of the room and I practically ran out of the school. Hiding on the side of the school, I waited for everyone to clear out before I transformed.  
   “Tikki, what do you eat?” I asked her. She floated in front of me.  
   “Cookies. Chocolate chip is my favourite but I'll eat any,” she told me then went back to my backpack.  
   “Stay here, hidden. You'll be fine. I'll be right back,” I said and used my baton to launch myself away. I walked into a market and ignored the people staring at me as I picked up absurd amounts of Camembert and cookies. I could feel my cat ears were droopy and I sighed. I was rather mechanical in my movements, my thoughts drifting to my brother.  
   “You're Chat Noir,” a little girl said abruptly, pointing at me. I looked down then placed the basket on the floor. I knelt down so I was looking at her face.  
   “Yup, I am. I'm here because cheese helps me get strong again so I can keep protecting Paris. To make it safe for kids like you. What's your name, dear?” I asked, smiling. I held her tiny hand in my gloved one. My ears perked up again.  
   “Angela,” she said, gazing at me like I held all the answers to the universe when in reality I was probably just nine or ten years older than her.  
   “It's lovely to meet you, Angela. Ladybug needs chocolate chip cookies to recharge. But not the store-bought kind. You know why?” I asked, deciding I had a few moments to spare. She shook her little head, her black curly hair flying. Her mother was watching us silently.  
   “Because there's a special secret ingredient in homemade cookies and that makes Ladybugs even stronger. It can't be found in store bought cookies. It's love. Any kind of love. The love of his parents, his family, or the love Paris gives him. That makes him the strongest. So as long as Paris gives him cookies filled with love, he can be the strongest. And he'll always be able to save Paris alongside me and Chameleon,” I said to the wide-eyed girl. Her mother smiled at me and mouthed “thank you”.  
   “You want a picture?” I asked and she nodded. I placed her on my hip and tickled her side until she was giggling.  
   “Okay, now do this and say ‘Miraculous!’” I smiled and curled my fingers into claws. Angela copied me and her mother took the picture. I kissed her cheek and her mother took a picture of that too.  
   “Have a great day, Angela! Remember, feeling bad doesn't last long. So always try to find a way to be happy,” I smiled at her and waved as her mother walked away with her. I picked up my basket and went to pay. I realised I didn't have any cash on me and my face burned with shame. This has never happened before.  
   “I-I'm so sorry! I'll pay for all of this! I'll come back with money - I -” I said in a rush, my hands shaking. Gosh, I couldn't do anything right.  
   “Don't worry. I got it,” said the woman behind me. Angela’s mother. I covered my mouth with my hand, tears in my eyes. I was so moved by her kindness.  
   “Oh, I couldn't possibly -” I started but she held up her hand to stop me.  
   “It would be my pleasure, Chat Noir,” she assured me. I hugged her, not even paying attention to the fact that the other people in line had their cameras out and were videotaping this.  
   “Thank you. Thank you so much. I will pay you back,” I told her then picked up my large brown bag and left. I used my baton to get back to the school as quickly as I could and detransformed. I placed a very tired Plagg and Tikki into the brown bag so they could eat. I knew I was missing lunch with Papa, Mom, and Etta but I'm sure they were having a better time without me. I sat in the grass next to the school as I listened to them eat.  
   I thought about Angela and her kind mother. Her mother's deep brown eyes that looked so much like her daughter's. Her skin was a beautiful brown that practically reflected the colours she was wearing, just like her eyes reflected kindness. I wished I had gotten a copy of the picture with Angela. She was so cute.  
   I leaned my head against the side of the school and closed my eyes. The air was nice and crisp and the sun was pleasantly warm. If only I could stop worrying about my -  
   “Help! Help! Please!” I heard someone screaming. My eyes shot open and I called on my transformation.  
   “Tikki, stay here.” I stood up and started running towards the chaos. I caught sight of Chameleon and we ran to each other.  
   “Another Akuma?” I asked.  
   “Where is Ladybug?”  
   “He got hurt last night. He's out of commission for the time being. It's just us,” I sighed and she nodded, not asking how I knew.  
   “Who can purify the Akuma?” she asked and started running. I ran alongside her.  
   “I will. I'll purify it with Cataclysm,” I said, looking down at my hands for a moment. We skidded to a stop when we saw it. It was a large beast, some sort of mix of a lion, a bear, and something with antlers. It was roaring and smashing cars. It threw one at a civilian and I threw my baton to deflect it from hitting her.  
   “Run! Everyone run! Stay inside,” Chameleon yelled as she took a stance. She cast a look at me and I nodded. Chameleon started making loud noises and hopping from lamppost to lamppost, taunting it. I searched for the Akumatized object on it and called for Chameleon’s attention when I found it.  
   “It's the pen! In his claw!” I said to her.  
   “On it!” Chameleon jumped down and called on her invisibility. I was now the centre of its attention. I rolled or back flipped away from its claws until I could pin it down with my baton. I saw it get pulled from its claws and I caught it in the air.  
   “Cataclysm!” I yelled and it fell apart in my hand. The butterfly turned white and the black energy got sucked up by my ring. I guess that's what the yoyo does too. But unlike when the yoyo did it, the butterfly was dead. Then it slowly turned to ash. Oh well. The job was done. What did it matter if it was dead?  
   “Hey, I gotta head out. See you later,” I grinned and winked at her then ran away.  
   When I made it back to the school, I called my transformation off, caught Plagg and smirked at him.  
   “Didn't need Ladybug after all,” I shrugged, feeling damn proud of myself.  
   “You're not supposed to do that! You're not equipped to cleanse the Akuma,” he yelled at me from his place in my cupped hands. “Something bad could happen.”  
   “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Now go eat your cheese and stop whining. I did it,” I rolled my eyes and dropped him in the brown paper bag with Tikki. I shoved the brown bag in my backpack, hearing the bell ring for class.  
   I walked away, planning on going to the hospital. I could hear Plagg complaining from my backpack as I walked until he eventually fell silent. I transformed again and used my baton to get to his window. I opened it and climbed inside. Louis’ eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and deep. I detransformed and Plagg flew into my backpack. Tikki flew out and rushed to sit on the pillow next to his head. I sat next to him and held his slender hand. I trailed my fingertip over his almond-shaped eyes. That caused him to open them.  
   “Emma… is school over?” he barely ground out.  
   “No. Screw school. How are you doing? What did they say is wrong with you?” I asked. His eyes widened at the comment on school but seemed to brush it off.  
   “Just bruises. Bruised ribs. Mild concussion. I'll be fine. I got some painkillers. I can still be Ladybug yet,” he smiled weakly.  
   “There was another attack today. It was a huge monster thing. Inarticulate. Chameleon and Chat Noir handled it. Chat Noir cleansed the Akuma,” I told him. His brow wrinkled.  
   “I didn't know Chat Noir could.”  
   “Cataclysm. She couldn't fix everything but the Akuma is gone.”  
   “I mean, I guess that's one way to do it,” he shrugged a bit with some difficulty. He turned to look at Tikki.  
   “I missed you, Tikki,” he smiled. She hugged his cheek.  
   “Emma was so kind! She went and brought me a lot of cookies and took me to school with her. I don't know what you mean by her being cold and rigid,” Tikki said to him. I glared at him.  
   “Yeah, how shocking, Lou. I'll see you later, brother,” I said coolly and pulled the cookies out of the bag. I left them on the table, put my backpack on, then walked out. Mom was standing by the door, making a call. Knowing her, she probably hadn't left him this whole time.  
   “He's awake,” I said and walked by her. I took the elevator to the lobby and walked out. I didn't know where to go. I had no friends, I didn't want to go home, I wasn't going to stay at the hospital. I walked around aimlessly until I found myself in the park. I sat under a tree and closed my eyes. I heard footsteps on the grass then a weight sit down next to me.  
   “Hey, you okay? You didn't come back after school,” a familiar voice said. I opened my eyes to look at Etta.  
   “I went to see Louis. He's fine,” I said, looking down at the grass.  
   “Oh, that's great. Did you see the pictures? Chat Noir took pictures with a little kid and now she's telling everyone to put cookies and Camembert on their roofs to give Ladybug and Chat Noir extra powers. It's so cute. Oh, and when Chat Noir came up short on cash, her mom bought it for her. She looks like she's about to cry. What do you think she's like? In her civilian life, I mean. It's like no one has ever been kind to her,” Etta asked, looking at the video on her phone.  
   “Maybe she feels alone,” I said softly.  
   “I guess so. Who knows. She was great today taking down that animal! She's totally not what I thought she was. She's awesome! Gotta go,” she smiled, got up, and scampered away. I sighed a bit.  
   “You did do well today,” Plagg said from my bag. I opened it so I could see him.  
   “My siblings dislike me. I can't do anything right. I didn't do well. I was sloppy. I'll get better. I have to be better. Don't try to tell me otherwise, Plagg. We both know caring isn't in you,” I muttered, glaring at him. He shrunk away from me a bit.  
   “That was mean, Emma. How did you get this way? I know this isn't you. I saw you with that little girl. With that classmate. Why are you like this, Emma?” he asked, sounding genuine instead of sardonic.  
   “I want to be worth something. I'm nothing as Emma. But I will be the best Chat Noir,” I said and zipped him up into my backpack. I stood up and started walking. I could feel this new power in me, after I destroyed that Akuma. I was going to be the best Chat Noir. I was going to protect Paris my way.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Emma… please…”  
>  “Stay away from me, Louis. You're not my brother anymore. We are nothing,” I snapped and continued to walk away.

   Three weeks. Eight Akumas. I destroyed them all. Ladybug, my brother, was back in the game… and completely up my ass about using Cataclysm on the Akumas. It didn't stop me, though. With each Akuma, I felt myself get stronger. I was a better hero. I was better than Emma. I was better than Ladybug. I was the heroine Chat Noir and there was no stopping me.   
   Today at school, I decided to dress in a white low-cut crop top, acid washed tight high-waisted shorts, T-strap black pumps, and a pink leather jacket. I was feeling good. I had my heels propped up on the table as I inspected my black nails. Gus-Gus still sat with me and didn't seem to mind when I used his lap to rest my feet. He didn't seem to enjoy it either, but that really wasn't my problem.  
   “Isn't it a bit early for Halloween, Emma?” Chantal asked me, looking me up and down. There was some kind of hunger in her eyes, a lust. I slowly took my feet off the desk and faced her, spreading my thighs with my hands on the inside of them. I blinked at her slowly then licked my red lips.  
   “Why? Want to rip the costume off me, cherie?” I asked and winked at her. I turned back to my desk, ignoring the stares. I heard a building smash and bit my lip. I placed my fingertips over my lips in mock-shock. Everyone else jumped.  
   “Oh dear. It looks like people are in trouble. What a rare occurrence,” I said in a sarcastic, sultry voice and looked at my brother.   
   “Okay, everyone knows the drill. Go straight home and don't take any main roads,” the teacher said as everyone picked up their shit.   
Gustave looked at me, worried.   
   “Aren't you going to go home, Emma? We don't know how dangerous this one is,” he said, wrinkling his brow.   
   “Oh, I'm sure the heroes can handle it. I have nothing to fear, Gus-Gus,” I said and stood up. I patted him on the shoulder and picked up my backpack, walking out. I went into the girl's bathroom and leaned against the door, dropping my bag in front of me.   
   “Oi, lazy god. It's show time,” I said, grinning. A powdery-grey looking Kwami came out of my bag. The more Akumas I destroyed, the lighter in colour he got. Same as with my suit. Well, white was more my colour anyway.   
   “You know the drill, Chat Blanc,” he said, smirking. He got with the program after a few more Akumas. We got along a lot better now.   
   “Plagg, claws out!”   
I felt the suit cover my body and flexed a bit in it. I had gotten some lean muscle over the weeks of non-stop training and Akuma fighting.   
   I stashed my backpack under the sink and opened the window, using my claws to climb out. I had an advantage no one else knew. I knew who Hawkmoth used to be and who he wasn't anymore. Our grandfather wouldn't have us fight monsters like this. The person who wielded Nooroo now was a psychopath. But two could play that game.   
   I made it to the scene. Maybe a little late because I took my time, but hey, at least I made it.   
   “Go away, Chat Noir! We don't need you. We're doing fine without -” Ladybug said before the Akuma villain threw him into a building. I sat on a lamppost.   
   “You were saying, buddy? Or is it ‘buggy’?” I asked and flexed my claws. I jumped down and scratched down the monster’s face. A lot of the new Akuma villains looked like legendary monsters from a bunch of varying cultures. This one looked like a kelpie so I scratched at its gills. Blood coated my gloves and ran down its neck. Chameleon turned invisible and took the crown off its head. From the angle it was thrown, she tried to get it to Ladybug but I used my baton to intercept it. I broke the object and caught the butterfly in my claws. My ring practically radiated the black energy now, craving more. It was like a drug and there was no short supply.  
   “Chat Noir. Give it to me,” Ladybug said, holding his hand out. My brother. He could be kind to someone he didn't know but not to his sister. No, his sister was cold and rigid and hollow. His sister was empty. Well, he may be right. But that's not something he has a right to say about me.   
   I looked him dead in the eye and called for Cataclysm. The butterfly fell apart in my hand, the dark energy being sucked into my ring. I turned my hand over to let the butterfly dust fall to the street.  
   “Too slow, jackass. Maybe you should try being better at your job,” I said coolly and used my baton to vault myself onto a roof. I ran back to the school and got back in through the open window. I slid to the ground as I detransformed, my body getting accustomed to the new power. A few shivers went through my body, nothing like the seizures they started out as. I still had seizures, just not as often. Then I was able to open my eyes and look at my ring. It was back to its regular silver.   
   I skipped the rest of school that day. And the day after that. And the day after that, for a week. My grades slipped and I kept getting called in for meetings with my family. Nothing worked. They couldn't control me. Somedays, I couldn't even control myself. It was like I was watching a movie of myself, like I was out of my body. I ignored it, figuring that was the price of power.   
   The physical damage it did to my body was worth it. My hair came out in chunks as the weeks went by, black veins like webs on my fingers and up my wrist appeared. My eyes looked an almost inhuman blue and my cheeks looked hollow. But two weeks after my last delinquency meeting at school, I snuck out and went to a club. It was two weeks into September and it was cold outside. Because of the club lights… I couldn't tell if I looked like I was dying or beautiful. I had been showing up either too early or too late for Akuma attacks but always managed to steal the little black butterfly from him.  
   “That's the price you pay for power,” my reflection told me. She had gotten quite chatty recently.  
   “Maybe… maybe I should get help… it hurts. This power hurts. It's like my veins are being pumped with tar,” I said, faltering a bit. The skin around my eyes looked bruised and red so I applied more makeup. I couldn't exactly hear the music but I could feel the bass in my heart.  
   “You've already come so far. That pain you feel is just power. Your body is getting used to the power. Don't you want to be the best, Emma?” my reflection asked. I slowly nodded.   
   “I'm the best Chat Noir. Not even my father could compare to me. I'm better than he ever was. I'm even better than Ladybug,” I said, squaring my shoulders.   
   I finished attempting to fix my face and left the bathroom of the club. I could feel the bass under my feet. I had coaxed my siblings, Chantal, and Gus-Gus to come to a club with me. No one seemed to be enjoying themselves when I came back, though.   
   “Come on! Dance,” I said and started dancing. Etta and Chantal hesitantly followed me, looking uncomfortable. What babies. Chantal looked at me for a moment, curious, then turned her back to me. She placed her hands on Etta’s hips and started dancing with her. She looked at me out of the corner of her eye. There was something off about her.   
   I grabbed her arm and pulled Chantal to me roughly so she practically fell into my arms. Etta looked really confused and somewhat worried.   
   “Emma, are you okay? You seem different,” Chantal said, her lips by my ear. I held her body close to mine, moving to the beat. The floral scent of her sweat was intoxicating.  
   “What do you care?” I asked.   
   “You seem… angry. All the time. And you're dressing differently… I'm worried. You're not the girl I grew up with,” she looked at me.   
   “No one really cares, so stop pretending. I'm better this way,” I said and pushed her away from me. I saw the black spidery veins on my hand through the makeup I applied there. I had probably sweat it off. Chantal stumbled back into someone after seeing my hand. By the time she turned to talk to me, I had disappeared in the crowd. I left the club without talking to anyone or telling them I was gone. When my phone blew up with texts from my siblings and Chantal, I broke it in my hand and dropped it.   
   “They're trying to hold you back. They don't want you to be better than them. They're jealous of you,” the voice said, dripping with venom. It wasn't Plagg’s voice, it sounded like a distorted version of my own. My reflection.  
   “Fuck them. I'll do things my way,” I snapped and rubbed my face as I walked, smearing the sweaty makeup all over. Nothing could really hide the damage done to my face anyway. I opened my purse and looked at Plagg.   
   “You're still with me, right? Forever?” I asked him. He was white now with green eyes, black veins in them. He nodded his little head and hugged my cheek. Yes, I definitely liked him better this way.   
   I saw a person in a red bodysuit and Plagg flew back into my purse so he wasn't seen. Ladybug landed in front of me and knelt down. I gave him a bored look, not wanting to speak to him.  
   “Emma, are you okay?” he asked me. I wanted to scream at him. I could feel the anger boiling in my veins, burning me up. How fucking dare he act like he cares when he's Ladybug? He couldn't be bothered to say anything nice about me as a civilian.   
   “Fuck off, buggy. Don't you have better things to do? Like saving cats in trees,” I asked bitterly. I inspected my nails. I saw my pinkie nail was coming off so I flicked it into the grass. The flaming pink nail bed was all that was left.   
   “You've never sworn before. Emma, please. Tell me what's going on. Is it drugs? Mom, Papa, Dad, and Mama are really worried about you. People at school are scared of you. Please, Princess,” he pleaded. At the nickname, I snapped. The anger boiled over and I pushed him to the ground. I leaned over him, my fist ramming into his face with a ferocity I didn't know I possessed. I heard growls and heavy breathing and realised they were coming from me. Louis wasn't even fighting and I was no better than an animal.  
   “Wanna know why I'm like this, Loubug? Huh? It's because of you. It's because of Etta and Chantal and every other person we've gone to school with since we were kids. I was the one in the background. I was the talentless one. There was not one special thing about me, nothing anyone could praise me for. I was always overlooked. But you, shy pretty Louis was always everyone's favourite. Etta was the artistic one, the wild one. I was nothing. I got fed up. That's why I am like this! I'm sick of you! I'm sick of our perfect happy family! I never belonged there! So fuck off!” I screamed, my fist slowing until I placed it next to his face to rest. He looked up at me and I couldn't tell if the tears in his eyes were from what I said or the pain. Little droplets fell onto his cheeks and I realised I was crying too. I got up, picked up my purse and started walking away. Stopping, I turned to look at him.   
   “Emma… please…”  
   “Stay away from me, Louis. You're not my brother anymore. We are nothing,” I snapped and continued to walk away. In all my seventeen years, I had never once spoken the way I did just now. It felt so good. The pain in my hand just made me feel prouder. I had knocked him down a peg. I was just as important as he was. I was finally happy. How bad could that really be?   
   I didn't go home that night. I didn't go to Chantal’s house like I probably would have. Chantal was a weird friend-bully to me. I accepted I would never know where I stood with her. I didn't go to Gus-Gus’s house either. That was the whole list of people I knew. So I turned into Chat Blanc and searched around Paris for a place to sleep. I saw a little black girl excitedly showing her mother my team on the TV and I saw it was Angela. I perched on their windowsill and tapped at it with a claw. Her mother opened the window for me and I crawled inside.   
   “How did you find us, Chat… Blanc?” Angela’s mother asked me. Angela ran up and held my hand.   
   “A hero knows where everyone lives as to better protect the city’s people,” I said the lie softly. I bit my lip and looked into her mother's eyes. All of a sudden, tears started streaming down my face and I sunk to my knees.   
   “I'm just a kid… I'm just a kid… all of Paris wants me to be this hero… I'm just a lonely seventeen year old girl. I don't know what to do… I can't go home,” I sobbed into my gloved hands. I felt Angela’s little arms wrap around me and her mother's hand on my shoulder. I looked up at her.   
   “You can stay here tonight as long as you promise to take Ange to school tomorrow. Sound fair?” she asked and I nodded. Angela cheered and hugged me tighter.

   “Now, I'll make some tea and you can talk about it, okay?”   
   “Mrs…” I started but realised I didn't know her name.   
   “Laurent. Bette Laurent. Pleasure to meet you, Chat Blanc,” she smiled as she started making tea. I stood up and picked Ange up and placed her on my hip.   
   “Emma… my name… it's Emma. That's all I can tell you.”   
   “I understand. Why don't you sit down? Ange, say goodnight to Emma and go brush your teeth,” she told her daughter. Ange pouted for a moment before nodding. “Go on.”   
   “My family… they're not bad people. They're the best. I have two mothers and two fathers and they form a polyamorous family. They raised me and my two other siblings. I've… I've never fit in with them. It's like I got all their bad traits. I got my mother's impulsivity, my father's self esteem, my other mother's loneliness, and my other father's spirit. I love them. I love them so much and I know they love me. But… on some level… I don't belong there. I'm not talented or creative or pretty or smart. I'm simply nothing. My brother, my twin brother, can't even manage to say something nice about me. My other sister really only talks to me when she needs someone to rant to then leaves. My… well, we grew up together. I can't tell if she wants to bully me or kiss me. I… I'm just trying to be the best I can be. And when I found a way, they're trying to tear me back down again,” I said, starting to cry again. My hands were shaking. Bette sat down and put the tea in front of me. I took a small sip but I was too cold for it to warm me.   
   “Emma… being a teenager is the worst time of everyone's life. It's not fun. It feels like everyone is against you or wants to take you down. And I can imagine as a superhero, even more so. I've seen you on TV. You are a hero. Your methods are a bit unconventional but life isn't black and white. What is it you said to that boy? About seeking help and trying to stay positive? That's how people survive in this world. I'm sure your parents are wonderful people and you seem like a wonderful person too. You just seem to be extremely depressed… and you might have anxiety. Have you tried getting any help for it?” she asked, holding my hand. I shook my head.   
   “My family… we're well-known around Paris. Famous, even. If I came out as depressed as well as a lesbian… I would shame them,” I said softly. Bette squeezed my hand a bit.   
   “If your parents are as amazing as you say they are, they would never be ashamed of you. You're an amazing girl and you save Paris. You're allowed to feel things too, even if they're not all good. You are allowed to feel anything you feel unless it hurts your way of life. Maybe you should try a school councillor?” she was being as compassionate as she could but she didn't understand. I didn't expect her to. But it felt good talking to someone who didn't know me. “How about this. List things about yourself that you like.”   
   “I… I don't… okay. My hair. It's blonde and fluffy like my dad’s. My mom loved styling it when I was a little girl. I can sing. I sing when Mama bakes and it always makes her smile… I… I'm kind. I know how it feels to feel alone and like everyone will be better off without me so I try to make other people feel better than I do. I like my eyes. They're the same shade of blue as my mother's, the same eyes my daddy fell in love with when he was fourteen. My bunny teeth. I have the same bunny teeth my dad has and his mother had before him,” I said, giggling a bit as I cried. I remember when Dad told me that and showed me a picture of Grandma. He said I had her bunny teeth and her smile. Then I hopped around like a bunny until he caught me and spun me around. Papa had come out to cuddle on the couch with us and tickled me, calling me his bunny.

   “I want to go home… I want to feel like I'm home. But I'll never be welcome back after what I did… I just want to feel okay.”   
That night, I slept on the couch. I never detransformed so when I woke up, I was still Chat Blanc. My eyes were red and puffy from crying, as if they didn't look bruised already from under my mask. My hair was a mess but that didn't really matter. I just ran a hand through it to make it look better. I waited until Angela was ready then I took her to school while her mom went to work. She gave us both a kiss on our heads and went off.   
   “Wanna fly? You gotta hold on, though,” I said and picked her up. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I took my baton out, letting it extend quickly to get us to the roof. She was squealing and giggling as we vaulted from roof to roof until we made it to her school. I put her down on the sidewalk and all her little classmates crowded around us. She pulled a box of Camembert out of her backpack and gave it to me.   
   “So you can get stronger!” she smiled before running inside. I held it in my hands and a small smile played at my lips before I used my baton to get away. I detransformed behind a building near my school and held Plagg in my hands. I gave him the cheese and looked down at myself. I was still in the short dress and heels but at least I had my purse to put him in. The bell rang for homeroom so I shoved Plagg into my purse and walked inside. The runny makeup, skimpy dress, heels, bloody knuckles and a pinkie without a nail really left an impression on my class. And everyone noticed the veins on my hand that were now almost to my elbow. I looked like a hot mess. Might as well own it.   
   I strutted in and took my seat next to Gustave. He shrunk away from me a bit. I noticed Louis wasn't in school and I saw Etta glaring at me at times and Chantal just looked worried. Whether her worry was about her safety or for me, I didn't really know. The teacher looked at me, defeated.   
   “Emma, are you okay? You look terrible. Maybe you should go to the nurse,” Gustave said to me softly. I looked over at him.   
   “I've never felt better, baby. I can take anything on.”   
   “Are you sure? Cause you look like you're about to drop dead,” he whispered.   
   “Don't worry, cheri. I'm perfect,” I grinned and winked. After homeroom, I went to maths where more people got to take in my new look. Rumors spread that I was a hooker, I was a drug addict, I was kicked out of my house. All not very creative but not very shocking hypothesise.   
What did shock me was the new team waiting for me during the next Akuma attack that day. I sat on the railing and looked them over. I wasn't impressed.  
   “Who might you be?” I asked.   
   “I'm Queen Bee.”  
   “I'm Volpina.”   
   “I'm Peacock… sorry, couldn't think of a clever name on the spot.”   
   “I'm… Jade… Turtle… yeah, I feel you, dude.”   
   “That's nice. What are you doing here? Is there an apocalypse I don't know about?” I asked, tapping my claws against my baton.   
   “We're here to stop you. You've gone too far,” Queen Bee said, her wings twitching.   
   “Big deal. So what? What are you Boy Scouts going to do?” I asked, laughing. From behind me, I heard a familiar voice.   
   “We're here to take your Miraculous,” Ladybug said. I got off the railing so I could look at all of them. His face was still bruised from last night. Good.  
   “I'd like to see you try,” I growled, getting into position to claw them.   
   “Stop! Please don't do this,” Chameleon asked, running up. Her eyes were orange. Fear or discomfort, she told me once.  
   “We don't have a choice. She's nearly killed victims just to get her fix. It's killing her and it might be making her Kwami sick. She's turned into a monster,” Peacock said, looking like he didn't want to do this either. The fans at his lower back weren't even in his hands. Weak. Pathetic.  
   “Shouldn't we be getting to the Akuma attack?” I asked. Volpina blew into her flute and a ball of light appeared.  
   “There wasn't one.”   
   “You set me up! You assholes! You're just threatened by me!” I yelled at them.   
   “Stop fighting! We're all supposed to work together!” Chameleon yelled, stepping in between me and them. She turned to me and held my hands.   
   “Please. I know you're lonely. I know you just want to be a good hero. I know you're kind and brave. Please, don't fight. This isn't you. Something happened, something made you sick. Please, don't fight each other,” she begged. I knew who she was in that moment. Chantal Albert, Alya and Nino’s daughter. I didn't know how I had been so blind to it before. I glared at her.   
   “This is exactly who I am, Chantal. You're either with me or with them,” I growled at her, baring my teeth. She paled.   
   “Who are you?” Chameleon whispered.   
   “Emma.” I made sure only she could hear me. The others were waiting for me to make a move: peace or violence. Chantal just stared, tears in her eyes. I wrapped my arm around her waist and looked at the rest of the miraculous holders.   
   “You'll see me around,” I told them and escaped. I brought Chameleon to a rooftop and detransformed, dropping her. My hands were shaking and my skin crawled. I needed another Akuma. Chantal detransformed with me and knelt by my side. Plagg went back into my purse, shivering.  
   “Oh my god, you look so bad. Emma, Emma. Look at me,” she said as my eyes drooped shut. I felt a spasm rip through my body and I started seizing. Great. Whether or not I took in the Akuma energy, I would have seizures anyway.   
   “Emma! Emma! Oh my god, what's happening!? Emma!” she screamed until I stopped. A few moments after, I opened my eyes and looked into her mossy green ones. She looked horrified.   
   “Oh god. What do I do? Emma, this black stuff on your arm looks bad. You look so weak. Come on, let me take you home…” she said softly and tried to get me up. I pushed her away.   
   “I'm not going home. I beat up Louis and said he wasn't my brother. I'm never going back,” I snapped. “And I don't need you to fight my battles for me. Maybe I am a monster. Maybe I like the way I am now. What's so bad about that?”  
   “Fine. I'll take you to my house. Just come on. You look terrible. Have you even eaten anything in days?” She picked me up with some difficulty and walked through the door into the building. Chantal spent the whole walk to her house ripping me a new one, saying how I should take better care of myself and I shouldn't even be fighting in the condition I was in. But she put me in her bed and cleaned me up, lent me her clothes, and fed me potato soup. That was an upside. Soon, I was asleep. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Let me guess… you're the sweet little baby butterfly everyone is so scared of? How… disappointing. I was expecting… more?” I asked and cocked my head at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: dismemberment and murder

   I woke up the next day but I didn't feel any better. I felt like I had been hit by a train and tar had been injected into my veins. Chantal slept on the floor next to the bed but was awake by the time I woke up. Noon. She should be in school and I told her so. I sat up slowly and propped myself against the bed frame.  
   “I told my parents I was sick. Dad wanted to stay home to take care of me but I assured him I could handle it. They don't know you're here. How are you doing? Hungry?” Chantal held out a bowl of yogurt for me and some hot chocolate milk. Not answering, I ate greedily and felt sick immediately after. I threw it up in the bag she supplied. Black goop came out with it. I guess I couldn't hold down food anymore. What a shame. This wasn't the kindest she had ever been with me but it wasn't the rudest. But I didn't really care about that. All I cared about was one thing.  
   “Where's Plagg?” I asked, wiping at my mouth. I needed to find him.  
   “Your purse. He's sleeping. He doesn't seem to be in any better health than you, Emma. He hasn't woken up, but he is breathing. What does he eat? Maybe if he ate something, he'll have more energy.”  
   “Absurd amounts of Camembert.”  
   “Was he always… white?” she asked, biting her lip. I couldn't tell if that was fear or concern in her eyes.  
   “No. He was an annoying black little cat god. He's better now. We're on the same page,” I answered and looked around for my purse. I ran a hand through my hair and strands of gold came out between my fingers. I shook them off into the bin. Chantal wrinkled her brow. My hair was brittle and fried now, instead of full and soft and wavy like it used to be. I would have picked my hair up but I didn't think my hair would stay on my head if I did that. I would probably lose my whole scalp in a wet fleshy mess and that just wouldn't do.  
   “What do you mean by that?”  
   “We both want the Akuma’s… essence. The energy that makes it black. He supports my desire for it. So does she,” I said and shrugged. Another nail was coming off so I peeled it off slowly then dropped it into the bin. Chantal looked about ready to throw up herself. She fixed her gaze to my face but I could tell from her expression that it wasn't an improvement.  
   “But doesn't he… care? That it's changing you both? What if it's killing you?” Chantal held my hand and shivered a bit, trying not to look at the two missing nails. She settled on looking at my shoulder, because even my face was ghoulish. It was a deathly white, hollow cheeks, skin peeling off. I was also growing colder. The only warmth was the blue fire of my eyes. I could imagine holding my hand was like touching a corpse.  
   “One thing about Plagg is that he never cares. He did at first, but once he got a taste for it, he understood. This power isn't killing me. It's making me stronger - us stronger. It's making me useful. She always tells me that. And even if it was, it's too late. It melded to my finger,” I said, staring at her. I attempted to pull it off to no avail and cocked an eyebrow at her. She seemed to understand.  
   “Her? Who is she? Another miraculous holder? I thought everyone we saw yesterday was all of them? I mean, aside from the butterfly Kwami, obviously.”  
   “No. Chat Blanc. She's in my head. She tells me the truth. She keeps me on the right track,” I said and cocked my head at her. She ran her finger over my miraculous. I glared at her for it.  
   “I'm sorry for how I treat you… I just… I'm abrasive sometimes. I get it from my mom. But it's not that I hate you. It's nothing like that. I could never hate you. This is new to me… this feeling. Love,” Chantal said softly, looking down. “That's why I took your side. I guess in any form, Emma or Chat Noir… I always end up falling in love with you. With your kindness and strength.”  
   “Maybe… maybe if I wasn't filled with hatred… I could love you too. But that doesn't matter. Because all I love right now, is to kill my brother.”  
   “Aren't we… aren't you being a bit hasty? Maybe killing him isn't the answer,” she said, starting to look scared. Fear was weakness. God, this conversation was boring me already. But she had been the only one to help me…  
   “My brother shamed me. He must die. When I'm better, I'll kill him. But for right now, give me Plagg,” I said coolly. Chantal lowered her head and fished in my small purse that sat behind her. She pulled out a sleeping Plagg and handed it to me. He was a powder white and he did look unhealthy. He was shaking in my hands and his body temperature was as cold as mine. I leaned back and placed him over my heart, feeling the little cold thing on my skin. The only bit of love I felt was for that little girl Angela and my Kwami. I gently pet Plagg’s head with a fingertip and he gradually stopped shivering. He didn't warm up any but I assumed my touch made him feel better. I hummed softly to him, my eyes slowly closing. Placing a thin hand over him to keep him comforted, I finally closed my eyes and drifted to sleep again.  
   I woke up when it was dark outside but Chantal wasn't there. I could hear voices outside the door, many of them. Many I didn't recognise. I stroked Plagg's head absently as I tried hearing them.  
   “... She's turned into a monster. Who knows what would happen if we let her keep the miraculous? She has the power of destruction. Do you really want her loose in Paris?” I heard a girl’s voice. Her accent was weird. It sounded a bit like that Queen Bee bitch.  
   “She's not a monster. She's lonely. She feels unwanted and unneeded. Like she's a burden. She just wanted to help, Greta,” Chantal pleaded. “That doesn't make someone a monster.”  
   “Look, I don't know her. But I also don't like violence. I don't want to fight her. She looks like she's about to drop dead on her own. I, personally, would like to speak to her first, understand what happened to make her this way,” a guy said. His accent was weird too, but in a different way. He sounded like the same fool in the Peacock suit, who wasn't even prepared to fight. That sounded about right.  
   “We're past that. Even as a civilian - mind you, this is my sister - she snapped and beat me, Daniel. I didn't fight back because I was in costume but it was like an animal was on me. I think there's still a part of her in there. She was screaming at me and crying. I'm not fighting her. I've done enough harm to her. I… I started this. I turned her into this. Tikki, bless her, said I called her cold and rigid. I did. It's not Tikki's fault. But I loved my sister. She just didn't want anyone to know how much she cared. Her kindness was quiet and low key. She was bullied a lot as a child… I did nothing to help her. But regardless, I've done enough to hurt her. I'm not fighting my sister. This is on the rest of you. I'll help cleanse the ring, but I'm not fighting her,” I heard Louis say. I couldn't feel any remorse for what I did to him. It took me beating him to realise he was a jackass. Took long enough but it was too little, too late. That was also the most I'd ever heard him speak.  
   “Even though Emma seems like a monster now, she's not. I know her. When I was Akumatized, she was kind and showed me compassion. I didn't know it, but as Chat Noir she extended a request of friendship for Emma. Emma is a good person. So I won't fight her. I'll save her. I'm with you, Greta,” was that… Gustave? Gustave was here too? That means he was another miraculous holder. This is how they wanted to play it. Fine. Two could play dirty.  
   “Kala, what side are you on?” Gustave asked.  
   “I'll help. I'm with you and Greta. The only two we don't know about are you two. Will you fight?” I didn't know who this was but from deduction, I guessed she was Volpina.  
   “I'm with you,” Chantal sighed, defeated. Oh boo fucking hoo.  
   “Me too,” Daniel/Peacock said, sounding just as resigned as Chantal. Reluctant heroes, oh joy. I slipped Plagg into the pocket of the sweatpants I was wearing. I got up slowly and picked up some scissors and slipped my feet into shoes. Opening the door, I cocked my head at them. Everyone turned to me at the same time, in one motion. A platinum blonde girl, a boy with hazelnut brown hair and light brown skin, and an Indian girl. I could guess who was whom out of those three. I walked like a cat stalking its prey, slowly and deliberately. I saw the table where the Kwamis snacked. They all looked at me with either fear or shock. They all probably assumed I was too sick to stand. This will teach them to underestimate me.  
   “Heard you were talking shit,” I growled, my voice not sounding like my own. Guttural, cruel, low and animalistic. That was fine with me. I wasn't here to look pretty or make friends. I was ready to kill. And I already had my first target.  
   “Emma, it's not what you think -” Chantal started but I pounced on her, the scissor blade pressed to her throat. I pinned her to the wall. She closed her eyes, her lip quivering. How precious. How pitiful.  
“It's okay, guys. I know her. She wouldn't kill her. No one move,” Louis said. I turned my head to look at my brother. I made a small cut, a thin line of blood sliding down her brown throat. I grinned at the sight. I wanted to see more.  
   “Don't tempt me, asshole. You don't know me. You're not my brother,” I snarled and backed off Chantal. I held the scissors out in front of me. Maybe more from them or more from others? Who knows?  
   “Anyone that comes near me, I'll kill you and drink your blood. Your choice,” I said and backed out the front door. I closed it behind me, dropped the scissors, and ran as fast as I could. They were useless to me anyway. My lungs burned as I ran. I took back roads just so they wouldn't find me. Soon, I found a place to hide and took Plagg out. His eyes were open but I still couldn't really tell if he was alive.  
   “What assholes. Whatever. We don't need them, Emma,” he told me. I nodded.  
   “Let's show them how bad I can really be,” I grinned as he floated in front of my face. “Plagg, claws out!”  
   I strutted down the streets of Paris, humming to myself. I used my baton to smash the windows in stores and cars. Some people tried to stop me, to talk to me. It didn't exactly work. If they tried to fight, I broke an arm or leg with my baton or I scratched them with my claws.  
   “Chat Noir, please stop! What's going on? I thought you were supposed to protect us from monsters,” a woman said.  
   “Welcome to the real world. I'm one of those monsters - only better. Could one of those monsters do this,” I asked and called for cataclysm. I touched her arm with my fingertips and watch her turn to a statue - then crumple to ash.  
   Hearing their crying and screams made me laugh. These people were so weak. They all ran away from me, not wanting my touch. I broke into a market near the my parents’ bakery and stole some Camembert. I vaulted myself to a roof and let Plagg eat before transforming again. It was time to show them the new boss in town.  
   I got on top of a roof and tapped my baton against it to get everyone's attention. Journalists aimed their cameras up at me.  
   “Hello, hello! I'm Chat Blanc! You know those heroes you saw yesterday? They are useless. They're weak. Truly pitiful. They can't stop me. You thought your biggest problem was Hawkmoth? How sweet. He's nothing compared to me. None of them are,” I called out to them. “If any of you tries to stop me, I'll kill you.”  
   I hopped down with my baton and growled at the people closest to me. Fuck being a hero. What has that ever gotten anyone? It's so much more fun to be a villain. And being that I had Plagg’s miraculous, all I needed was Ladybug’s. And that was very easy to get.  
   I slept on a roof that night. I hadn't been home in what seemed like forever but it was probably more along the lines of three days. Whatever. They always did better without me anyway. Time seemed to blur together for me and soon it was morning.  
   Every time I used Cataclysm to break something, it exploded and sent shards everywhere. Well, that was an interesting development. I fed Plagg often with cheese I stole then went back to destroying things. It wasn't until someone threw something at my head that I stopped before my baton crashed into the windshield of a car. The rock connected with my head and I saw a clump of my hair along with a piece of skin splattered against the street. I turned to see a man in a purple suit staring at me. He had a butterfly broach under his chin. Oh great. This guy. He's apparently still goddamn relevant.  
   “Let me guess… you're the sweet little baby butterfly everyone is so scared of? How… disappointing. I was expecting… more?” I asked and cocked my head at him. He threw another rock at me.  
   “How old are you? Twenty?” he asked, obviously trying to make fun of me because of my age when he was the one throwing rocks at me. He had to be kidding.  
   “Seventeen. What's that matter? I can still kick your ass,” I shrugged. “And I can take your miraculous. Wanna see?”  
   Before he could say anything, I extended my baton into his stomach, lifting him off the ground and throwing him into a building. He got up limply but eventually stood on his long, skinny twig-like legs.  
   “You're forgetting something, little kitty cat. I can control you,” he grinned and spit blood into the ground. Oh how scary.  
   The power I felt in me before now kept me still and in pain. I could feel the tar in my veins harden, or that's what I imagined. Tears filled my eyes and I couldn't scream because he kept me still. It felt like all the blood in my body went still and caught fire. Okay, this was scary.  
   He walked up and before he could take my miraculous, a yoyo hit his hand and dragged him back. His hold on me broke and I dropped my stick to the ground, falling to my knees and gagging. I saw something blurry and blue next to me with a feathery pattern. I couldn't see clearly because of the pain and tears. A scaly green suit was on my other side and they were both helping me stand. I picked up my baton and blindly lashed out at them.  
   “Don't touch me! Stay away!” I snapped. Hawkmoth laughed and I saw his blurry from and swung my baton at his head. I pinned him to the ground and beat on him like I beat Louis. My hands were shaking and they were still bloody from that night but, still, I kept beating him until someone picked me up off him. I was ready to kill whoever did this.  
   “Don't touch me! Don't touch me! You betrayed me! Put me down,” I screamed, kicking and clawing at the person picking me up. I saw a red suit around my waist.  
   “You asshole! Let me go! Let me go! How dare you! After everything you've done, you think you have a right to touch me!? You betrayed me!” I screamed, clawing and baring my teeth. My feet weren't even touching the ground and that bothered me more.  
   “Can I go?” Hawkmoth said and I hissed at him, growling and spitting at him, trying to claw at him as I was dragged away.  
   “She's like an animal. And you wanted me not to fight her,” Queen Bitch said. I growled and scratched her face. Blood pooled and spilled down her cheek from the three scratches.  
   “Now you're a pretty kitty too,” I smirked and burst out laughing.  
   “What was it Master Fu told us to do?” Chameleon asked. Everyone but Ladybug was keeping a safe distance from my nails now. I curled up then kicked Ladybug’s leg. He buckled and I backflipped out of his arms, picking up my baton.  
   “Come at me,” I snarled, holding my baton like a bat. I separated it so I had one half in each hand. Queen Bitch looked at Peacock to go ahead and with a deep sigh, he took his fans off his lower back.  
   “I don't believe in violence… but you need to stop, or you'll hurt people,” he said, getting into position.  
   “Too fucking late,” I smiled slyly and came at him. His movements were smooth and defensive, never once striking me. I was practically an animal, barely thinking about what I was going to do, just trying to find a way to hit him. He didn't look happy about fighting but he also didn't look like he was breaking a sweat. I fought harder until one of his fans cut through my suit and drew blood. Black ooze came out as well.  
   “I'm so sorry! Are you alright? Can I help - oh dear, okay. And we're fighting again,” he said in a conversational tone. I screamed and was about to attack again when I heard a voice.  
   “Stop! Emma… please stop,” Dad said, holding his hands out. He looked like he hadn't slept in days and he was growing some stubble. His green eyes burned but not with fear, with love. And tears. His eyes were light and watery. “Emma… lapin. Please. This isn't you. Somewhere along the way… you stopped talking to us. You locked everything inside… we tried to reach you but you fell so far so fast… none of us had ever seen someone shrink so far into themselves. We didn't know what to do. We were scared. We were scared for you, Emma. You're our daughter. Please, stop. Come home.”  
   I hesitated a moment, cocking my head at him. I felt something strange inside me, like Emma was struggling to come out. But then it was gone. Just not fast enough. Ladybug swung his yoyo at me and it trapped me. I fell and started screaming, fighting against the wire.  
   Chameleon ran over to me to check my head and nearly threw up when she saw the chunk of hair and skin missing. She pulled my head into her lap, tears in her eyes.  
   “We didn't want to do this… we didn't…but we had no choice. You gave us no choice,” she whispered. I growled and bared my teeth at her. Liar. Betrayer. Bully. Don't trust. Don't trust.  
Ladybug stepped closer and started to untie me. Once I was free, I kicked him away from me and stood up.  
   “Betrayer,” I growled before I ran away. I ran and hid in an alley, among the garbage cans. I could hear people running but I didn't move. I didn't know how long I stayed among the garbage bins but I knew I fell asleep there. I could barely keep my eyes open.  
   I woke up as Emma and searched for Plagg. I guess he was too exhausted to keep up my transformation. I moved all the garbage bins, calling his name frantically. I saw his little white form across the way and scrambled over to him. I picked him up and held him to me. He was barely breathing and was so cold, just like me.  
   “Plagg… Plagg, please… open your eyes. Open your eyes, Plagg… don't leave me… don't leave me alone,” I whispered, tears filling my eyes and spilling down my cheeks. I heard footsteps and held him protectively to my chest. When I saw it was Louis, I snarled at him. He held his hands up and sat a few feet away from me. Tikki flew out of his jacket and looked at Plagg. Tikki. She was the nice one. The one who said I was kind. I slowly extended my cupped hands out to her so she could see him. Tikki was crying as she sat in my hand and touched Plagg.  
   “Help… I think he's dying,” I whispered to her. Tikki looked up at me, but not with anger, with a centuries old sadness. I don't know which would have been worse.  
   “You both are. You can barely keep your eyes open. Oh, how I miss when you were a baby. I'm sorry we never got to see you grow up. You loved sleeping with Plagg. That's why the Guardian chose you both to be together. He saw your kindness and your loneliness. No one knew this would happen. You never seemed like the type to do this. But you didn't know this would happen, did you?” Tikki asked and I shook my head. No one told me what would happen if I destroyed the Akuma. But I could have guessed.  
   “I'm very sorry this happened to you both. But you both are dying. Plagg can't live with all this evil energy inside him and neither can you. Do you want to live?” She asked and I nodded again.  
   “Then you must go to the Guardian and do as he says. Or you will die. If you take in another Akuma, it will kill you. If you don't, it will kill you. So we need to hurry. Emma, I would carry you but I can't. Please let Louis carry you. I promise I won't let him hurt you. And you can hold Plagg and keep him warm, okay?” Tikki held my finger, pleading me. Plagg was her friend and mine. I could not let him die, by any means. Even if that meant going with Louis. I nodded slowly and pulled Plagg against my chest again. I hummed to him softly as Louis picked me up and started walking, Tikki hiding in his collar so I could see her.  
   “I never meant to hurt you, Emma… when I said you were cold… I knew why. I knew why you were so proper and modest and rigid. And I still said it. That's inexcusable. But I want you to know I do love you. No matter how much you hate me, I will always love you. There is nothing you can do that could ever make my heart feel anything but love for you. You're my twin sister. I let you down and I'm so sorry. You were right. I was the quiet type, but I wasn't nice. Silently, I envied you. In your silence, you kept your pain hidden. You didn't want to burden anyone with it so you kept it to yourself. I'd never known anyone so strong. I knew I didn't have that strength. If I was suffering like you were, I never would've been able to hold it in. But guess what, Emma? You don't have to anymore. You don't have to keep your pain a secret because we're here to help you. I spoke with the other holders. No one wants to hurt you. No one judges you for what happened. After I explained last night, everyone just wants you to get better. Even Kala is going to move to France from India because she would love to be a part of the team. Same with Greta, she's from Germany. And Daniel is from Sweden. They really want to get to know you. Please keep your eyes open. Talk to me. On that roof. Last month. Do you remember what you said? Tell me. Explain it to me,” Louis rambled as he walked. Okay, I was wrong before. This is the most I'd ever heard him talk. Even Plagg had opened his eyes a bit and was listening.  
   “I'm a mistake. I'm the mistake in the family. All I did was get the bad traits. I was meant to be a monster,” I said softly.  
   “No, no! You know what our parents call you? Le petite lapin. You're white with your hair and you got Mom’s skin and have bunny teeth. You're the only one of us three that has them. You're the one who helps me with math even though you're bad at it too, at least you understand it. You always work extra hard to understand what you don't naturally. You model mom’s designs for her to help out. You sing when Mama bakes because it makes her smile but it makes me smile too. Because I know you're happy. And I'm sorry I'm a terrible brother but I need you to keep your eyes open because I need to prove to you that I can be better. I need you to live so I can show you I can be better. Please keep your eyes open, Emmy,” he said, shaking my head. My eyes were slipping closed anyway. There was nothing I could do. They were doing it on their own. I heard a door open and close and a bunch of people talking. I felt myself being placed on a mat but once I felt hands start to take Plagg away, I growled at them.  
   “Easy. I'm going to save him and you,” I heard someone say and I let them take him.  
   “Save him…” I whispered weakly. I felt someone hold my hand and I had no clue who it was but before I knew it, a hand was trying to remove my miraculous. I growled and snapped weakly but I really couldn't manage much more. With no warning, my hand was pinned down and my finger was cut off. A scream tore out of my throat at the flash of intense pain. I could feel the cool air against the place where my finger was and blood pool under my hand. The throbbing pain was enough to distract me from fighting to get it back. They might take more if I continued to struggle. I couldn't even get my eyes open because they were so heavy.  
   “You'll get it back. Just relax.” that was said to me. I didn't know if he meant my miraculous or my finger. Then to someone else: “You can't break the ring now. It could kill them both. You need to just put it in your yoyo and everyone brace yourself for impact.”  
   Then I completely blacked out. 


End file.
